Pothead



Patented Oct. 30, 1934 a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE POTHEAD Pliny P. Pipes, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to The Ohio Brass Company, Mansfield, Ohio, a corporation of New Jersey Application March 2, 1933, Serial No. 659,290 4 Claims. (01. 247-1) My invention relates to potheads or terminals Forming an integral part ofthe cap 6 is the for use with cable wires, and other conductors head 11 provided with the grooves 12 and 13 to which are placed under ground and the ends receive the underground or parkway cable and thereof brought above ground for connection to track or other cable 14 respectively.

6 track rails, or other conductors. My invention The head portion has a part 15 which projects is particularly adapted for connecting underinwardly sufiiciently to overhang the upper edge ground signal wires to track rails. of the standard 2 and rest upon the insulating Theobject of my invention is to provide a simflange 10 if desired, or the head may be raised ple, inexpensive device and one in which the above this point if desired and clamped into 130- v 10 cables or wires may be quickly and efficiently sition by means of the bolt 8. The head portion connected thereto. 11 does not completely overhang the entire up- My invention resides in the new and novel conper edge of the standard 2 thus leaving an openstruction, combination and relation of the various ing 16 through which the cable 5 may be brought. parts hereinafter described and shown in the Mounted upon the head portion of the cap is 15 accompanying drawing. a clamping member 17 having lugs 18 and 19 In the drawing: respectively for entering the grooves 12 and 13 Fig. 1 is a side view in elevation of my invenrespectively to engage the cables reposing theretion. g in. The'contact edges of the lugs 18 and 19 are Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation of Fig. 1 at provided with a pair of faces angularly disposed 20 a different angle. to each other and which are found to most ef- Fig 3 is a top view of Fig. 1. ficiently grip the cables 5 and 14.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the upper portion The clamping member 17 is held in position of my invention taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. by means of the bolt 20 and nut 21 passing Fig. 5 is a side view of the cap taken at still a through an opening 22 in the head portion -11 25 different angle from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. and through the opening 23 in the clamping It is frequently required to bury a portion of member 17. The bolt 20 is preferably of the the cable in the ground and bring the end thereof carriage bolt type having a square shank 24 above ground and connect it to another conductor fitting loosely into the squared opening 22, thus or to a track rail, as in the case of a signal syspreventing its rotation when the nut 21 is tight- 30 tem and in doing so. it is desirable to provide a ened or loosened. The head of the bolt-20 oversimpe, inexpensive device and one in which the hangs the end of the standard thus preventing connections may be easily inspected and made or the bolt from dropping into the standard when broken at will. the nut 21 is removed. This is particularly valu- In the preferred embodiment of my invention able in installing the device. A lock washer 25 35 I provide a base plate 1 which may be of any is used to prevent unintentional loosening of the desired size and is intended to be positioned in nut 21. the earth below the frost or freezing line to safe-- The standard 2 has inwardly pressed lugs 26 1y anchor the pothead permanently in position. which form supports for a ring member 27 Secured to the base 1 is a hollow standard. 2 preferably of insulating material as, for in- 40 -of required length to bring the upper end of the stance, fibre, and which has an opening theredevice to a predetermined height above ground. in of suflicient size to permit the passage of The lower end of the standard may be secured to the cable 5. the base 1 in any suitable manner as by welding The device, after being positioned with the metal 3 fused to the parts 1 and 2. The standard cable 5 in place, is protected from moisture 45 2 is positioned over an opening 4 in the plate 1 entering therein by filling the interior of the 'through which the insulated or parkway cable 5 standard 2 with an insulating compound 28,

' may be led. Mounted on the upper end of the such as bitumen or asphaltum in the molten standard 2 is a cap 6 which is split aong one state and which will harden when cold. The enside and provided with projecting lugs 7. which tire standard or only a portion of it may be 50 may be drawn together by means of the clampfilled with the insulating compound and the ing bolt 8. washer 27 tends to support the same and as- Interposed between the standard 2 and the cap sists materially in the filling. The standard may 6 is an insulating sleeve or bushing 9 which has be fllled'after the device is completely installed an inwardly turned flange 10 at its upper end to by pouring the compound through the open- 55 overlap the upper end of the standard 2. 1115 it. The cable 5 has a considerable portion l of its end removed of insulation and the wire 5' doubled back upon itself and positioned in the groove 12 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In the drawing I have shown a bond connection adapted to have its free end secured to a rail and which usually comprises a pair of cables 29 having a'metal sleeve '38 at the free end for attachment to 'therail and-the other end.posltionedv in the groove 13. Having positioned the wires, the clamping member 1'1 is placed inposition and the nut 21 tightened thus clamping the cables in position and efiectively connecting them electrically.

is doubled back upon itself maybe wound about the end of the projecting end 29' of the cable mounted on-the sleeve comprising a split collar 29 shown in Fig. 4 and soldered thereto.

Modifications may be made in my invention which will be evident to those skilled in the art and I wish to be limited only by my claims.

I claim:-- 1. A cable outlet comprising in combination a standard through which a cable may pass, a one-piece head removably secured to the upper end of the standard and means to insulate the head from the standard, the head comprising a split sleeve to receive the end of the standard and the insulating means, and means, to draw the sleeve into clamping relation to the standard and insulating means, a projecting portion integrally formed with the sleeve and extend ing over a portion only of the end of the standard and forming an opening between the projecting portion and the standard and through which the cable may be brought from within the standard, means on the projecting portion to receive a plurality of conductoraa separately formed clamping member to engage the conductors and holding means passing through registering openings in the projecting portion and clamping member to draw the said portion and member together and simultaneously grip the said conductors.

2. A cable outlet comprising in combination an elongated hollow standard having a passage therethrough for a cable, an insulating sleeve at the upper end of the standard encircling the standard, a cable head secured to the standard with the insulating sleeve interposed and means to adjustably secure the head in position, means on the head to receive the conductor of the cable,

gevaeev means to permit bringing the cable end out between the head and standard, clamping means to engage the conductor and headed means to draw the clamping means towards the head and securely clamp and hold the conductor in place,

the head of the said headed means being posi-' tioned within the cable head and arran ed to overlap the end of the standardlto 'prevent the headed means dropping into'the standard.

3. A cable outlet-comprising in combination, a

' hollow standard through which a cable may pass;

a sleeve of insulating material surrounding the end of the standard for a distance back from the end face and a flange on the sleeve projecting inwardly and overlapping and resting upon the end face of the standard; a one-piece head surrounding the sleeve and having means. to draw the collar into gripping engagement with they sleevei a projecting portion extending above the end of the standard and united with the collar for a portion only of the circumference of the. collar and alse'c'ond projecting portion from said first projecting portion at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the collar and extending over the end of the standard for a portion of its area whereby a space is formed between the second projecting portion and the end of the standard through which the cable may be passed and the standard filled with a compound; an opening through the second said projecting portion; a separately formed clamping member mounted on the second projecting portion and arranged to clamp a pair of conductors to the head, an opening through the clamping member and a securing means through the said openings to effect the clamping of the conductors.

4. A cable outlet head comprising a body having a split sleeve portion, means to change the size of the opening through the sleeve to clamp it to a standard, an inwardly projecting portion from "one end of the sleeve portion and extending over 

